Could Never Be (Bucky Barnes x Reader)
by MellowDreadful
Summary: This takes place before Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Bucky Barnes x Reader Fanfiction.


You could always remember that name: James "Bucky" Buchanan Barnes aka The Winter Soldier. He was quite the looker, but that wasn't what made you feel such softness for him. He had this look in his eyes that told you a million stories with not one word spoken. Alas, you didn't let your emotions get the best of you. You were hired as a "case manager" of some sorts. In reality, your background and clearance was approved by none other than Alexander Pierce, the Secretary of the Defense as well as the current head of HYRDA. A select few knew about this due to S.H.I.E.L.D and their Intel. You, unfortunately, were one of them that knew.

"Miss. [Y/L/N], I'd like you to inform the asset," Pierce had shown up out of nowhere. You had been going through the research of which assassination deemed top priority next.

"Yes sir," you could feel your stomach drop instantly. The feeling of pity was overwhelming at times when you viewed the "asset" as Pierce would call him.

You followed Pierce into the Faustus room where The Winter Soldier sat, shirtless. He looked lost and in pain. You gulped down your anxiety and tried to focus on the clicking of your shoes upon the floor. Stopping near the doctors that surrounded him, you stared down at Barnes. He looked over immediately at you, as if you were always a surprise. Even though you had only assessed his missions three times, you still had known him for about three years now. Each year seemed a new time to defrost the man and torture his thoughts more.

You cleared your throat," I have a new mission to go over with you, Soldier. Please be advised to use any means necessary to take care of this mission." You had been trained to acknowledge him as "Soldier" and inform him on what means to take per Pierce. As you continued with the mission, he just stared intently. His eyes occasionally wandered over your face to study you, and then back to making direct eye contact. It was as if he could stare into your very soul. At the end of your explanation you asked, "Do you understand and comply?" With which he would nod. You quickly stood up and turned to leave.

As you made your way down the hallway, Pierce stopped you mid-step. "Miss. [Y/L/N], I think it would be valuable for you to accompany the Asset on this mission. It seems you will be needed for the extraction process of the information."

"Sir, you're aware how dangerous these missions may be, especially obtaining S.H.I.E.L.D Intel! W-What if I'm killed?" you questioned him.

"[Y/N], I understand your concerns for your life. I guarantee your safety, especially with the Asset. No harm will come to you. I need your skills to decrypt those files. It's of the utmost importance. I didn't just hire you on for your researching skills…I was well aware of your hacking as well. Why did you think I'd kept you around for so long?"

You felt the anxiety welling up, again. You realized that saying "no" was not an option at this point. He would kill you if you didn't say "yes."

"Yes sir, I will do this."

"Good girl," he walked passed you in the hall, slightly bumping you with his shoulder. Pierce loved to indicate his dominance and position just by one shoulder bump. You stood there in the hall for a minute after he walked away and let everything sink in. The feeling in your stomach was always warning you about trouble. Your gut. Here it was, giving you the nausea from hell.

-The Next Day-

You awoke that day to gulping down as much coffee as you could muster. You packed your laptop and all the devices necessary for what you were extracting. It was night time when the team of HYDRA agents as well as The Winter Soldier were released on a base just off the East Coast into the Atlantic Ocean. You were grouped with Barnes so that he may ensure your path to the main control room.

He didn't have his mask on for this mission; you presume you two were wiping all the video surveillance when it came to the main control room. His identity was not of an issue and apparently yours wasn't either due to your lack of a mask as well.

It was as if this base was a maze: small, narrow dark hallways and barely lit stairs. Everything was metal as well as S.H.I.E.L.D agents surrounding the place. Due to the size of the base, half of them were already silenced before a distress signal could be made. As Barnes made a left down another narrow hallway, you followed in pursuit not looking up from your navigation system. He immediately turned and before you knew it, he was pulling you back behind the wall. This maneuver blocked the two of you from oncoming S.H.I.E.L.D operatives. You didn't process the close proximity you two had made, until the men had passed. What really was a surprise is that he didn't take the opportunity to kill them. You presume to stay quiet, but a part of you believed that he really didn't want to.

You looked up at him as his arms were still wrapped around yours from him pulling you. Slowly, they slid off yours and he stared down at you: stone still.

"L-Lets continue," you whispered.

He nodded and turned to make his way down the hall. You followed along, trying to calm your heart from what just happened.


End file.
